How is Indonesian Coffee? Introduction to Indonesian Blue Lake Batak - How to Drink Indonesian Coffee?

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Examples include Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, or Timur. The advantage of Indonesian coffee is that most varieties feature rich, restrained flavors and lively moderate acidity. Chinese coffee enthusiasts hold Indonesian Mandheling coffee in extremely high regard, making it one of the most widely accepted single-origin coffee products. Indonesian Mandheling was once hailed as the world's finest unique wet-hulled coffee beans. Mandheling is a trademarked product - today, any coffee cherries harvested in Indonesia and processed through this unique wet-hulling method are sold as Mandheling coffee beans. Mandheling originated from coffee cultivated by the Mandailing people in the Tapanuli region of northwestern Sumatra. At the end of World War II, a Japanese soldier introduced it to the Japanese market. Due to a pronunciation error, Mandailing became Mandheling coffee, and the name stuck.

Sumatra Island

Sumatra coffee is exceptionally complex and elusive. The finest coffee from Sumatra comes from two regions: the Aceh province in northern Sumatra, near Lake Tawar, and the mountainous areas surrounding the more southern Lake Toba. Due to many small-scale farmers and their unique semi-washed processing methods combined with iron-deficient soil, coffee beans from this region display a distinctive bluish color in their fresh, unroasted state. Sumatra Island is Indonesia's second-largest island and the world's sixth-largest, covering an area of 470,000 square kilometers. It's divided into eight provinces, but only two cultivate coffee extensively: Aceh Province and North Sumatra Province. The most representative coffee-growing areas are the Gayo Mountains surrounding Lake Tawar in Aceh Province, where coffee is cultivated by the indigenous Gayo people, featuring a distinctive culture dominated by female farming and harvesting. North Sumatra Province's coffee is grown around Lake Toba, an enormous volcanic lake - the world's largest of its kind. The famous producing region is Lintong, located south of Lake Toba.

Blue Batak from Lintong

Blue Batak from Lintong Province is a famous volcanic lake less than two hours' drive from Medan, the largest city in North Sumatra. It is the world's largest volcanic lake with an extremely vast hinterland, so coffee characteristics vary significantly from north to east. In the Lintong region, Blue Batak represents the highest grade of Mandheling coffee. Currently, coffee is cultivated in the mountainous areas near Lake Toba by the Batak people, not the Mandailing people. The name "Blue" comes from the slightly bluish-green appearance of the raw beans and the crystal-clear blue lake surface, hence it's called Blue Batak Mandheling or Blue-Eyed Mandheling.

Wet-Hulling Processing Method

Under this semi-wet, semi-dry wet-hulling processing method, coffee farmers use machines to remove the peel and pulp from red coffee cherries. The beans still retain much mucilage and are then placed in fermentation tanks for stirring and fermentation for about one day (24 hours). When fermentation is complete, the attached mucilage can be easily washed away with water. Then, after sun-drying to reach approximately 30-35% moisture content, the coffee bean husks are removed, making them ready for market sale. Removing the coffee bean husks in this semi-wet, semi-dry state reveals a unique deep blue color in the beans themselves. This processing method reduces acidity and increases the coffee's body, creating this distinctive Indonesian-style coffee.

Flavor Characteristics

Sweet medicinal herbs, cinnamon-like spices, orange and citrus peel aromas, rich and intense sweetness, creamy walnut chocolate. The fruit acidity is restrained and gentle, with the aroma carrying strong melon notes. As the temperature decreases, herbal notes emerge, with subtle spices and medicinal herb aromas that are mellow and carry rich sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Coffee Recommended Parameters:

Flannel filter cloth, 86°C, small Fuji grinder setting 4, powder-to-water ratio 1:14, total brewing time approximately two minutes.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473